


The Cursed Forest

by Ssen



Category: GOT7
Genre: 2Jae, A little bit of angst, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Exploration, Happy Ending, He's so soft though, Jaebeom is a dork, M/M, Side Jinson, Wizard!Youngjae, Wizard!Yugyeom, YoungJae is a sunshine, the others are humans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:06:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25981804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ssen/pseuds/Ssen
Summary: When Jaebeom decided to explore the "cursed" forest around his village, he expected a lot of things from it. He expected to explain all the mysteries, all the mysterious disappearances. To become the hero of the village, perhaps, with a little luck.He didn't expect to meet a mysterious boy with dazzling smiles and strange cloaks.And he certainly didn't expect this boy to be the cause of the loss of his village.
Relationships: Choi Youngjae/Im Jaebum | JB, Park Jinyoung/Jackson Wang
Comments: 4
Kudos: 31





	The Cursed Forest

"Are you sure about this, JB?" Mark asked as he adjusted the strap on his friend's backpack.

“Mmh, yeah, absolutely !" he answered enthusiastically. 

After finally closing the zipper on the huge travel bag that the dark-haired man was carrying, Mark came and stood in front of him, looking worried. 

Mark was a young man, barely older than he was, short, almost skinny, with a thin face and blond, always tousled hair. He was a foreigner, who had arrived in Jaebeom's village a few years earlier. He had settled there, often repeating that no one was waiting for him elsewhere anyway, without giving further explanations. Jaebum's parents, who at that time ran a shop for machinists and repairers of all kinds, had hired the young man, who was then 14 years old, to help them in the shop as an apprentice while Jaebum was still in school. By living together and working together in the evenings and on weekends, the two boys had become very close, to the point where they were now like brothers. So when Jaebum succeeded his parents, who thought they deserved a good retirement and wanted his older brother - a genius, as they often boasted - to continue his studies, it was only natural that his best friend also became his colleague and collaborator.

And here they were, many years later, standing in front of the path that led out of the village as dawn broke. The brown-haired man checked that his rope was firmly attached to his belt, that his little dagger was tucked away in its sheath. He tried to make a list of what he had forgotten, but nothing came to him; he had his canteen, food, a first-aid kit, a compass, an oil lamp, string - it can always be useful - and enough to make a fire. Everything was fine. Everything was going to be all right.

After this he looked up at Mark, who was still standing in front of him, seemingly hesitant. Mark was like that. Thoughtful, discreet, and a little shy too sometimes. Jaebum smiled at him.

"Why do you look so worried ?" 

That question caused the older man to sigh.

"If no one ever goes into that forest, JB, there's a reason. No one's ever come back from it ! It's not  _ safe  _ ! "

“I know, I've lived here longer than you ! But every time they've tried, it's been expeditions of dozens of men. Me, I'm going to sneak in. I'll be fine. "

“But maybe you  _ won't _ be !“ 

Jaebeom was surprised, but not that much. He was expecting this reaction, in fact. He knew him by heart.

"Mark, we've been through this," he said with what he hoped would be a reassuring smile.

"But that's nonsense !" replied the blond man, who was beginning to dumbly wave his arms around. "What if you don't come back ? What am I going to tell your parents ? You haven't told anyone, do you realize that ?"

"Because they wouldn't have let me leave !"

"Maybe I shouldn't let you leave either !"

"You can’t to stop me from going. Please don't try," Jaebeom said in a suddenly more serious tone. 

Mark looked away with a wince. He didn't like this situation, and the younger one could understand him. But he had already made up his mind.

"I can see that you're worried, Mark. But there won't be any trouble ! I'll be back tomorrow night, I won't even miss the party at the tavern with the others. No problem !"

"You're fucking reckless. If something happens to you, don't come and say I didn't warn you."

Mark made a face, trying to look angry, but Jaebeom could see beyond that now. He knew that his friend was nothing but worried, that he was afraid of losing him - but that was silly. How paranoid of him, really, to be afraid of a forest. Just a forest. Nothing was going to happen to him, he was convinced of that. Everything was going to be all right. He'd said it dozens of times before.

"Everything will be all right. “

Jaebeom came to hug his friend, trying to reassure him as best he could. The blond man grunted, but returned the gesture warmly, passing the love he had for the youngest through this contact rather than through words. Then Jaebeom bid him goodbye, and walked down the path, under the disapproving eye of his elder.

The forest that bordered the west side of Jaebeom's village was considered haunted - or cursed, he couldn't remember exactly what he had been told, the exact term that had been used. Many stories were told about it; stories of monsters, of dead people. Bloody, scary stories, but Jaebum didn't believe them. If no one had ever come back, then the stories must have been made up, after all. And he wasn't going to be scared just because some dumbass got lost and couldn't find his way out. He was prepared, he was equipped. He was going to discover the secret that all those trees had been swallowing for far too long. 

He was going to explain the legends.

•♦•

Jaebeom arrived in front of the forest after half an hour's walk, when the sky had taken on a purple hue, fading to orange near the horizon. The rising sun blinded him, but he knew he would soon be protected by the trees' shade. Every problem had a solution.

He stopped for a few seconds, turning towards his village, which had become very small in the distance. Smoke was beginning to rise from the chimneys, and he imagined his parents getting up, Jackson's tavern opening. Mark getting the shop ready. With an angry head shake, he rejected the guilt that threatened to overwhelm him at the thought of leaving him alone. Then he faced the forest again, took a deep breath, and entered it.

The forest looked like one of a fairy tale, that's something Jaebeom couldn't deny. The foliage of the trees was thick, stopping the light, making the landscape dark and the air cold. The sun's rays sometimes managed to pierce the treetops, and they became visible to the naked eye, a multitude of parallel lines that projected bright spots on the ground and on the young man. The earth was barely visible, covered by abundant and lush vegetation - grass, nettles, ferns, mushrooms and young oak shoots. The trees were all covered with moss, vines sometimes fell from them - in short, there was nothing but an intense monochrome of green around him. The sound the branches were making in the wind was, to Jaebeom's ears, as relaxing as it was unsettling. The air was humid, accentuating the smell of vegetation around him. 

Jaebeom decided that he liked the atmosphere.

His steps were heavy, a little awkward because of the huge bag was carrying on his back, but he didn't mind, even when his shoulders began to hurt. So far he found the expedition quite pleasant. Moreover, the forest, although very dense and deep, was nothing more than a forest, and Mark was definitely worrying for nothing. 

So he walked for a few hours, checking that he was still heading west. In the back of his mind he was thinking, trying to understand all these disappearances, all these fears. What could have happened to all those people?

It wasn't until his stomach began to grumble that Jaebeom found something different, something more interesting. In front of him, was the entrance of a cave on the high cliff facing him. On the walls of this cave, small phosphorescent mushrooms grew in small families, illuminating the rocks with a rather unsettling purple colour. However, the dark-haired man had no hesitation in entering, his lamp in his right hand and the other adjusting his backpack on his shoulder. 

The cave turned out to be very little dangerous, and although the brunette disturbed a few spiders and bats, there was no retaliation. This forest really seemed safe enough.

What made his heart beat harder was not fear, nor adrenaline, but awe; when he came out of the tunnel he was faced with the most beautiful scenery he had ever seen. A large clearing, bright, green, dazzling, was facing him. The grasses were tall, floating lightly with the cool breeze coming out of many cavities, which pierced the cliff that surrounded the clearing. The wall was about ten meters high, leaving only these few tunnels as an escape route. A few bushes, rare trees, and many multicoloured flowers dotted the small meadow: some at ground level, some high, some rising, others growing right on the cliff, whose rocks seemed to glisten with thousands of small shiny crystals. And above all, in the middle of the multicoloured grassland, was a high waterfall, which fell into a small lake, filled with the purest, clearest, most transparent water Jaebeom had ever seen. 

The air was still fresh, but the young man didn't care, he was as if paralyzed, struck by the breathtaking beauty of the place, and he wondered if he was in a dream. Only when his belly growled again did he decide to move, to sit by the water and take his break.

The smell of humidity was mixed with the smell of the many flowers and the one of his sandwich, which he had just taken out. As he ate, he observed every nook and cranny of the closed clearing, and his eyes burned because of the too intense brightness he was no longer used to, but he didn't care; he wanted to engrave this image on his mind forever, and to never forget the splendour of the place he had discovered.

When his hunger was appeased, so was his mind, and he fell asleep without realizing it, lying in the sweet grass, lulled by the gurgling of the water and the breeze.

**•♦** •

Jaebeom's natural wariness made him a light sleeper. So his impromptu nap was immediately interrupted when a crackling noise, louder than the others, sounded behind him. He sat up sharply, turning his head towards the origin of the sound while placing his hand on the scabbard of his dagger in a defensive reflex.

He did not expect this.

A few yards away from him, a person was standing motionless. Jaebeom guessed from his thin but straight figure that he was a man, who wasn't much shorter than he was, by the looks of it. His fear passed and his heartbeat calmed, the brunette took a few seconds to look at him. 

He was wearing a large black shirt, tucked into slim, dark trousers. His shoes were patent leather, sophisticated, but what Jaebeom found most shocking was his cloak. He didn't know that black cloth could have rainbow highlights, but apparently he still had a lot to learn about this world. It was open, hiding only his shoulders and upper arms, and tied at the base of his neck with a braided thread that connected the two sides, hanging between two small star-shaped medallions. His hood was raised over his head, but even when he lowered it gently, the brunette could still hardly see his face; the few feet between them and his slight myopia made it blurred, indistinct. All he could see was an expanse of snow-white skin, and a flowing mass of black hair, with lighter, brown strands, falling on either side of his face.

_ Hot _ , Jaebeom thought as the stranger began to approach, his cape tapping his ankles to the rhythm of his footsteps, but without ever touching the ground - the length was perfect, it must have been tailor-made.

Maybe he should have felt guilty about thinking that, or not allow himself to -he was a man !- but he'd already had enough debates with himself and with Mark about his sexuality, and the only result he ever got was the certainty that he liked elegant, charismatic people, who radiated some sort of vibe; and this guy was definitely one of them. He had a calm, seductive, aura, almost enchanting. So he didn't question himself any further than that.

He smiled at the stranger when he was within earshot, "Hi !" he exclaimed. 

The boy, who at close range looked a few years younger than Jaebeom, seemed hesitant, but still politely grinned back at him. 

"Hello... Who are you ?"

" The name is Jaebeom," he casually answered. " And you are ? “

The black-haired boy hesitated, shy or suspicious, long enough for Jaebeom to think that he would not respond. Yet his voice returned as he sat down, sitting beside him at the edge of the small lake.

"I'm Youngjae," he said. "What are you doing here ?"

"Oh, you know, I'm just exploring a little," the older man nonchalantly answered, lying halfway down, leaning on his elbows. "What about you ?"

"I come here from time to time, to relax. It's kind of my... Little secret place ?"

The boy looked a little shy, but he smiled, and Jaebeom liked that - or, more accurately, he found it adorable. 

"Very well chosen," he remarked, "it's beautiful here. If you feel like being alone, don't worry, I'll be back on my little expedition soon. In the meantime, if you're hungry, eat."

He gestured toward a small bag of biscuits, placed next to his bag. Youngjae nodded, took one of them and then, curious, grabbed the little paper hanging from the bag.

" _ I tried to bake your mother's cookies that you like so much," he began to read. "Let's be honest, they're not as good as when she makes them, but they're still edible, aren't they ?  _

_ Come back soon, and take care of yourself - Mark. _ "

"Mmm, it's a surprise from my best friend," explained the older one with a smile. "He may seem cold most of the time, but for real, look at what an angel he is. Pretty considerate, isn't it ?"

Youngjae nodded, then tasted the biscuits, confirming with an utterly cute giggle, according to Jaebeom, that it was edible. They remained silent for a moment, enjoying the breeze and the view - for Youngjae, the movement of the water that acted like a small mirror, and for Jaebeom, Youngjae. He may not have been very discreet in his observation, but it was not his fault that the boy was so damn attractive. He couldn't help it. He also noticed a small mole under his right eye, and this fact almost made him choke, because, how the hell could he be so cute ?!

"Why are you exploring, by the way ?" Youngjae asked, turning his bright, angelic face towards him again. The brunette's heart hurt him a little, skipping a beat and then pounding even faster, but he answered anyway with all the nonchalance he could muster in front of a guy who looked like  _ this _ .

"Umh, let's say that every time a guy from my village comes to this forest, he never comes back. We don't know how they disappear, so I decided to come and take a look. At worst, just draw a map, at best, find these people or figure out what’s been happening to them. “

Youngjae sharply moved backwards, and Jaebeom couldn't tell whether it was surprise or panic he was seeing in his big, wide eyes. He opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again, obvioulsy speechless, and the tallest hesitated between laughing or worrying. He opted for worrying, not wanting to embarrass the boy. 

"...Wait, wait, wait." he finally uttered, slower than before, cautiously. "You're - You're a human ?!"

"Well, yeah," Jaebeom replied, amused. "Aren't you ? “ 

What he thought to be a mere tease seemed to be offensive, as the boy stood up, looking scandalized, and ran away to one of the tunnels. Jaebeom watched him, surprised, but not reckless enough to follow him. He watched the black-multicolored cloak fly behind him as he ran, and then, when the cloth disappeared behind one of the blinding walls of the clearing, he sighed.

_ It was nice meeting him, though... why did he seem so scared?  _

Having lost his enthusiasm, he got up lazily and chalked up "exit" near the tunnel through which he had come. After gathering all his belongings and lighting his lamp again, he resumed his exploration, carefully avoiding the cave into which the stranger had gone.

•♦•

Like every Friday night, Mark had joined his friends Jackson, Jinyoung and Bambam at the tavern. But this time, Jaebeom didn't come with him. He hadn't come home.

"Are you sure he'll show up?" Jackson asked him, putting a tray full of drinks on the wooden table.

Jackson was barely out of his teens, but was already popular with everyone in the hamlet. As the son of farmers, he had been helping in the fields for longer than he could remember, and it was obvious from the way he looked. He was more on the short side, but his muscles were finely developed, and his sleeveless t-shirts regularly attracted curious and interested gazes from women. But Jackson dreamed of bigger, he dreamed of moving away. In his future, he saw the capital. So, in order to save money, he also worked part-time at the tavern. The customers enjoyed being served by him, he was sociable, kind and funny, and never hesitated to give small discounts to regulars. "Not a word to the boss, huh?" he would always say with a playful wink. 

Despite his busy schedule because of his two jobs, he always found the opportunity to help others; and it wasn't uncommon to see him at Jaebeom and Mark's shop when a machine was giving them a hard time - Mark remembered that special boiler that almost defeated them. After a week's work on it, they had come close to giving up on what they called "a demon machine" at the time. Jackson had definitely been a great help.

The only free nights he had were Friday nights, and it had become a tradition among the five of them to come to the tavern to eat, drink and play as soon as he finished his shift. 

But the mood tonight was not good, at least not for Mark. Jaebeom wasn't there, he might never come home, and Mark was worried and, fuck, what the hell was he doing ?!

"He assured me he would come, yeah," he replied, trying to hide his nervousness.

The others made no comment, and while waiting for him, decided to get their usual old deck of cards.

It wasn't until a good thirty minutes later that the young adult appeared, with damp hair and a clean T-shirt on his shoulders. Mark rose to his feet and approached him in a hurry.

"Oh God !" he exclaimed, "You're back ?! “

"Disappointed ?" Jaebeom chuckled, amused. 

The blond didn't answer, too used to his best friend's teasing, and simply pulled him into a hug in which he tried to get rid of all the anxiety and frustration he had accumulated over the last two days. Jaebeom let out a small, affectionate "awwwn" and patted the older man's back in a friendly manner. He wasn't very demonstrative, but he was touched that his friend was so worried. Once again, it was silly, but touching. 

They then walked to the table where their three other friends were sitting, playing cards.

" Wow, you didn't even wait for me ?" asked the brunette, fists on his hips and an eyebrow raised.

"You took forever," Bambam replied, putting a jack of clubs on the pile of cards. "What were you even doing ?"

"I just went to take a shower on the way home. No reason to panic."

"On your way home from what ?" Jinyoung asked, his head resting on his hand and looking suspicious. "We haven't seen you at the shop for two days."

Jinyoug was the son of the richest man in the village, who had made a fortune selling tapestries and who hoped to become a lord in the next decade. He had done everything possible to provide a good education for his son, who was already in his twenties, but continued to take music, art and literature classes with his tutor. 

Jinyoung was attractive, and Jaebeom would be lying if he said he had never thought of him in _ any other way _ . Hell, just about every young person in the village had ever thought of him in this kind of way. Once again, Jaebeom liked elegant and charismatic people, and a young man with smooth, well-groomed black hair, and always wearing immaculate white silk shirts, could not leave him indifferent. It left absolutely  _ no one _ indifferent. Especially not Jackson. 

In addition to being rich and well-dressed, Jaebeom had to admit that he was really, naturally handsome; a slightly square jaw, smooth white skin, two big, shiny black eyes, and the perfect height for a man of the time. It wasn't the kind of enchanting beauty that Jaebeom had seen in Youngjae the day before, it was more of a classic beauty, which met all the standards. And this was even more reinforced by his behavior, as he was always calm, serious, even a little arrogant at times; a handsome dark-haired boy whose attention all the girls demanded. But no one had ever gotten anything but his unnatural, gentlemanly actions and his polite, but controlled smiles.

No one but the four of them. They knew that Jinyoung had to act this coldly because of his father; so as not to disappoint him, to always meet his expectations. They knew that he was always being watched, that his actions could very easily be told to his parents, and that because of this, Jinyoung always had to control himself. They also knew that it was impossible to expect friendly behaviour from him during the day, and they were not offended by this at all. Rather, they felt sorry for him. 

But Friday night was the time when he broke free from all that, leaving behind the pretenses and giving his four friends a chance to see his true face. And while he was always a little arrogant and teasing at times, he was also more demonstrative, in need of attention, that Jackson always gave him willingly; and although he would never admit it out loud, everyone knew he loved it. He was the Friday night Jinyoung, the normal, rebellious guy who drank, laughed loudly and criticized his father. He was the Jinyoung that Jaebeom, Mark, Bambam and Jackson loved. 

He remained inquisitive though; he liked knowing everything, he liked being in control. Thus, when he asked this question, Jaebeom and Mark were not surprised. The brunette ran a hand through his hair, pulling it back - a habit he had whenever he was embarrassed - and sighed. 

"I can tell you," he said, "but you have to promise not to tell anyone, okay? “

The three youngest nodded, suddenly curious, and dropped their cards to listen to the boy's stories. He told them about his expedition, his explorations, what he had seen; the landscapes, the animals, the plants. He didn't mention Youngjae, though, not considering it useful - and he was still a little upset. He ended by telling them that he hadn't found what he was looking for, that he didn't know what was causing all the disappearances that had occurred over the last few years, and that he would therefore have to go back the following week to continue his exploration. Mark and Jinyoung gave him disapproving looks, but, once again, he was determined and no one could change his mind. 

Finally, he sat down in his reserved seat, grabbed Bambam's glass of beer, who complained, but didn't stop him, and took the deck of cards, determined to make up for the time he had lost compared to the four others who had started the party a long time ago.

•♦•

The second time he came to the clearing, Youngjae was there. Jaebeom saw him from behind, sitting on a rock near the small lake. He recognized his trademark black and brown hair, and the fabric of his cape, which is as impressive as the first time. The cloak itself had changed, it was wider, more fluid, and completely closed, making it impossible to see the young man's clothes, legs, and even his arms. The hood had been replaced by a high, elegant collar. 

_ Yep. He was hot _ . 

When Jaebeom saw him, he thought the young man probably wanted to be alone. His behavior the week before proved it, after all. So, after standing there for a few seconds, immobilized by the surprise of seeing him again, and his brain working at a hundred miles an hour to figure out exactly what to do, he decided to head for the first cave he hadn't yet explored, walking discreetly. Unfortunately, Youngjae heard him and turned to him, his huge smile visible despite the distance. The older one froze, like a deer caught in the headlights. It was only when the boy waved his hand and shouted "Hello! " that he decided to go over to him.

"I was waiting for you," Youngjae told him with a grin as Jaebeom approached, a little puzzled.

"Waiting for  _ me  _ ?" he repeated, arching his eyebrow.

" Yeah... I wanted to apologize for the last time, it was really rude, ah... Honestly, I can't really explain my reaction. I'm just not used to running into people here, so I kind of messed up. I'm sorry."

"I could have never come back, you know ?"

"Then I would've waited for nothing. It's okay, it's not like the scenery's bad here, right ?“

The youngest sent him a wide smile, and Jaebeom almost had to squint his eyes so as not to be dazzled. He nodded his head silently, unable to say anything, too focused on the view before him. Youngjae's smiles should be illegal, he decided.

They stayed almost two hours by the lake, talking about anything and everything. Youngjae was everything Jaebeom was not; energetic, enthusiastic, joyful, very demonstrative, sociable, but also a little shy. He always seemed a little intimidated by the older one. Jaebeom, on the other hand, was calmer, more serious, but teasing and confident. He wouldn't go as far as to say that he was sociable, but he didn't mind saying what was going through his mind, ranging from the somewhat approximate puns to the more philosophical thoughts. Youngjae laughed a lot, sometimes at his own jokes, and Jaebeom could only stare at him, hypnotized by the adorable vision that he was. Sometimes the smaller one would look away, embarrassed as he crossed his elder's amused and affectionate gaze. Jaebeom had to force himself to resist the urge to ruffle his hair, fearing that it would come out as offensive.

Youngjae asked a lot of questions, and Jaebeom told him about his life in his hamlet; about Mark, Jackson, Jinyoung and Bambam, about his very close relationship with the eldest. He explained how his shop worked, and told him about the machines he was working on. He also mentioned his parents when the boy asked him about his family, but did not elaborate. It was not something he liked talking about.

On the other hand, Youngjae gave only very vague answers to the older boy's questions. Despite the aura of mystery that naturally seemed to surround him, Jaebeom was able to learn a little more: He lived with his parents, was still studying - when Jaebeom asked him what he was learning, he shrugged and said, "Oh, you know, it's very varied.“ His best friend's name was Yugyeom, he was a little younger than him and went to the same school. This was the only information he had managed to get. It was not much, compared to the amount of things he had shared, but he was content with it.

He was lying, with his arms folded behind his head and the shadow of a willow tree protecting his eyes from the aggressive light, when Youngjae's arm emerged for the first time of the day from under his cloak. Interested, he glanced over, and could see a patch of black jeans and the bottom of a pastel blue shirt, as well as a small leather pouch hanging from his belt. He took some weird small coloured balls from it, resembling the candies that Bambam often ate. Youngjae, his angelic smile still stuck to his lips, took one between his thumb and forefinger and threw it into the lake.

"What are you doing ?" Jaebeom asked as he straightened up, curious.

"I'm feeding the fish !" 

"There are fish in this lake ?"

"Yes! Look, the smaller ones are the luckiest, they can come close to the shore, where there's the most food. The bigger ones, though..."

He took a larger portion of food that kinda looked like a pebble, and threw it as hard as he could. It ricocheted twice off the smooth, pure surface of the lake, and then, in the blink of an eye, Jaebeom saw a shadow appear. A huge fish, several meters long and wide, shining like a crystal, jumped up to catch its meal. The brunette squinted his eyes, blinded by the glints of the animal's silvery scales, and saw it dive back down, splashing water all around it. It left him speechless. When the waves and ripples subsided, he still hadn't moved, struggling to comprehend what had just happened. The laughter of his companion brought him back to reality.

"It--it was  _ huge  _ !" he exclaimed.

"Yeah, it was big," Youngjae replied as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

"... But how can such a big fish fit in such a small lake? It was at least three times your size !"

Youngjae shrugged, an enigmatic smile at the corner of his lips. 

"The lake is probably deeper than we think" 

Then he raised his head, gauging the position of the sun in the sky, before getting up to dust off his cloak.

"Okay, Jaebeom, it's time for me to go home, Yugyeom will be waiting for me for lunch. But I'm glad I got to spend this time with you !“

_ Oh _ .

He couldn't help but be a little disappointed when he heard that.

"By the way, Youngjae," Jaebeom replied, running a hand through his hair, a little embarrassed. "I'm far from being finished exploring, so I plan to come back here every Thursday. If you feel like doing it again..." He trailed off, looking away, staring at the waterfall while trying to remain casual.

"I'd love to! See you on Thursday then," confirmed the dark-haired man with a small smile. 

And so Jaebeom resumed his expedition, exploring new caves and new areas of the forest, with a white-skinned man with dazzling smiles and bicolored hair running through his mind.

•♦•

A new routine set in from then on for the young machinist. He continued to meet his friends every Friday night, to enjoy this little moment of freedom, rebellion and carelessness. He continued to run his shop with Mark, repairing all kinds of objects. He was mostly working on the big machines, while Mark preferred precision work. Handling gears was much more fun for him than handling oil, so it was always Jaebeom who ended up with his apron, hands and face stained with tallow. The usual routine.

But now, on Thursday, his weekly day off, he would let Mark take care of everything, and go into the forest with his backpack and packs of cookies. He would meet Youngjae at the clearing in the middle of the morning, and they would stay together until noon - the boy had assured him that he never had classes on Thursday mornings. Sometimes they would stay in the clearing, and Jaebeom would revel in Youngjae's loud laughter echoing against the cliff. Other times, they would walk together, with Youngjae accompanying him on his exploration and acting as his guide. Most of the carverns were dead ends, but the older one insisted on visiting them all. He was making good progress with his map. He usually made simple sketches in his little notebook, and then made a cleaner version of it when he got back to his little apartment above the shop, which he shared with Mark. He would hang the whole thing on the wall, arranging the different pages to get the most accurate result possible. He may not have been a very good drawer, but his good organization helped him to have a map that was rather close to reality. He was quite proud of himself.

It lasted for about a month, and he had to admit that he was very happy like that. Only Mark had heard about Youngjae, and he had been very suspicious - "You trust a guy you don't know anything about ? You don't even know where he lives ! It's weird that he knows the forest that well, who's that guy, seriously ?" he said while fixing an old copper clock. To be perfectly honest, Jaebeom kinda agreed with this. He didn't know anything about Youngjae's daily life, but he didn't mind it all that much actually. He liked his company, the boy was like a little ray of sunshine, and, without realizing it, he gradually became addicted to their Thursday mornings together. It had somehow become a tradition, like Friday nights at the tavern. He loved it.

What frustrated him, however, was the lack of results from his research on the missing people. He had found nothing that could explain its reputation as a "cursed" forest. At least not until the day when his whole routine was turned upside down.

•♦•

"By the way, 'Beom, did you ever explain to me why you're on these expeditions ?" Youngjae asked, lifting a tree branch to let his new friend pass underneath.

"I told you, I want to explain why people from my village never came back," he answered, thanking him with a nod. 

"Yeah, I know that. But why are you the one exploring ? The normal thing would have been for the village to make a real expedition, wouldn't it ? Why did they decide to send you alone ?"

Jaebeom didn't answer right away, and Youngjae thought it was because he was too busy cursing at a bramble that had scratched him. He chuckled, and then they continued on their way through the vegetation, moving between the trees, the younger one in the lead and his elder the next. But the latter remained strangely silent. Youngjae turned his head towards him, worried.

"'Beom ?" he called softly. The man stopped and ran his hand through his hair with a sigh. Youngjae noted that he avoided his gaze.

"...It wasn't the village that sent me here," he explained, nervously rubbing his nape. "I decided that on my own. Nobody knows about it except for my friends. “

The younger one then turned around completely, retracing his steps to stand in front of the older one, with furrowed eyebrows and his head tilted to the side.

"But then... why ?"

Jaebeom pursed his lips, and didn't seem willing to stop staring at the boletus off to the left of his shoe.

"It's something I'm ashamed of, 'Jae, so don't laugh," he warned. 

"Sure. I won't make fun of you, I promise," he answered, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Jaebeom sighed again, then finally looked up at him.

"... It's my way of trying to impress my parents, I guess." He paused for a while, then continued. "I haven't told you, but I have a brother. An older brother. Everybody thinks he's a genius. He's moved to the capital to study, you know, ‘cause he's so smart and so brilliant and fuck, everything's always about him. I know it's stupid to be jealous, but I could do whatever I want, they'll only ever have eyes for him. I've been restoring the shop, I've kept it from going bankrupt and I've been running it for five years now and, no, he's still better than me, because he studies theology and Latin. I thought that if I could defeat this forest, if I could find the explanations to all these mysteries, I would become the hero of the village and maybe... Maybe then I would be worthy of their interest."

A heavy silence followed. Youngjae tried to find Jaebeom's eyes, but Jaebeom stubbornly kept them away, jaw clenched and fists slightly shaky. When the younger one finally opened his mouth to speak, he was beaten to the punch.

"I know it's a shitty way of thinking, I look like a fucking kid, begging for my parents' attention. But it's just a pain in the ass to be raised by people who don't give a shit."

"No, it's..."

Once again, the younger man was interrupted, this time by a noise coming from behind them. Youngjae turned around, his cloak flying around with his sudden movement. A second later, Jaebeom was pushed behind a huge tree trunk, Youngjae's arm thrown across his chest to stop him from moving. He tried to calm the beating of his heart, which was racing due to the sudden proximity. It was - woah. Unexpected.

When it was done, he was about to speak, but Youngjae motioned him to keep quiet by placing a finger against his own lips. 

"What ?" Jaebeom whispered anyway. "What's going on ?"

"It’s a bear." he replied quietly. 

To say that Jaebeom was shocked would be an understatement.

"A-- a bear. There are bears in this forest."

"Yeah. Keep it down."

"Why didn't you, I don't know, share this information with me sooner ?"

"I didn't want you to get scared."

"Right. You nailed it. Well done. Congrats. I'm  _ so  _ not scared right now."

Youngjae, who until then had stood practically still with his back to his friend, staring at something beyond the tree behind which they were hiding, suddenly turned towards him, frowning and with a serious look, which Jaebeom had never seen on his face.

"'Beom, hush, seriously," he demanded. "We can' t let it hear us, nor can we let it see us move." 

The brunette nervously swallowed, then nodded his head, showing that he had understood. He still risked a glance behind the trunk, however, and saw - well, yeah, indeed, a bear. But a  _ huge  _ bear. A fucking brown bear that would probably be more than seven meters tall if he decided to stand up. Animals had a serious size problem in this forest.

The bear was wandering in circles between three trees, just a few feet away from theirs. His steps were heavy, even making a few acorns fall from the surrounding oaks. 

"How long is he going to stay there ?" he whispered as quietly as he could. 

He had barely heard what he himself had said, as his heart, drumming in absolutely every part of his body, deafened him. He turned his gaze again to his companion, who was nervously biting his nails, staring up at the treetops. 

“’Jae ?”

The boy sighed, as though he was giving up on something, and then stood up again, his serious gaze fixed in Jaebeom’s.

"'Beom, I'm gonna do something, but I want you not to get scared, okay ?"

" 'Not scared' ? I'd love to see you try ! There's a giant fucking bear out there and--"

"I wasn't talking about the bear. I was talking about me."

"You ? But..."

He didn't let him finish, giving him one last indecipherable look before turning to the monster that was getting closer and closer. Jaebeom saw him cautiously taking a long stick out from under his cloak, which he waved gently, causing small sparks to appear in the air by some means he didn't understand. The brunette saw from the corner of his eye the bear turn his head towards them, then come to a complete stop. His black eyes were plunged into those of the younger one, and in spite of what he had ordered him previously, Jaebeom was scared. Truly terrified, for the first time in his life.

But Youngjae didn't stop there. He swirled the piece of wood in the air, and the bear turned around, taking a leisurely step away. They watched it walk away, quietly, and then, when it was out of sight, the boy turned back to him with a quick movement that once again swirled his cape and his bicolored hair, and he waited for a reaction. He looked anxious; standing straight and tensed, with pursed lips and a clenched fist around his stick, but his gaze was determined. Jaebeom moved backwards, starting a second too late.

"You... What the - woah - how...?" was all he managed to utter, gawping.

It was Youngjae's turn to sigh and run a hand through his hair, mimicking the gesture his friend had made a few minutes earlier.

"You told me that story about you and your parents, so in return, I'm gonna tell you something as well. And I'm warning you, it's gonna come as a shock."

His voice was low, but with a shaky nod Jaebeom urged him to continue.

"I'm - ah, how can I put this ? What you would call a wizard..? “ 

Jaebeom stilled, trying to comprehend the information that his younger friend had just thrown at him. 

"Wizard," he repeated with a shaky voice. "A wizard. Of course. Because that exists, now."

"Wait," Youngjae frowned. "You thought it didn't exist ?"

"Forgive me for no longer believing in children's stories. Otherwise, the giant fish and bear would've made me a little less confused."

The wizard (because that's what he was now apparently ?) couldn't contain an amused snort and a smirk. More calmly, he sat down on the first rock he found and invited Jaebeom to take a seat as well. At first Jaebeom didn't move, still shocked, but when the boy tapped the seat next to him, gently saying, "Come on, come here. I’ll explain your children's stories to you now," he nervously did so. 

" Witches and wizards do exist," Youngjae began, with a calm expression, but staring blankly at nothing, and playing with his fingers. “It's strange that you don't believe in them anymore, because you used to be convinced of their existence. We were living with you humans, and at first, everything was going well. But soon you started being afraid of us and wanting to kill us, because we were a “threat to humanity”. Have you never heard about all those witches you burned? If you drown, you're innocent, and may your soul rest in peace; if not, you'll be burned at the stake. Humans are horrible beings.”

He caught his breath with an annoyed grimace, and Jaebeom didn't even try to contradict him. In fact, he was quite inclined to agree with him.

" Therefore, we ran away, a few generations ago. We built a village in this forest, safely hidden away. And, so that history wouldn't repeat itself, every time a man tried to sneak in, we made him disappear."

"You... all these missing people, you killed them ?"

"No, not killed. Made them disappear."

"What's the difference...?"

"No pain. They don't even have time to figure out what's happening to them. They just... stop existing, just like that."

"Their family felt it, though, the pain."

"Don't blame me for this, please," the wizard whispered a bit sadly. "We're just protecting ourselves."

The brown-haired man stopped to think for a few seconds. The breeze gently shook the leaves from the trees around them. It was relaxing, so he made the silence last a moment longer. He felt good here, despite the very unsettling information he had to digest. This forest must have been a bit magical, too. There was something reassuring about it, which made him think that everything would be alright.  _ Everything will be fine _ , he remembered.

"...That's why you ran away the first time," he remarked. It wasn't even an actual question, but Youngjae answered it anyway, with a discreet wince.

"Yes. It must be the same for us on your side, but, we've always been told humans are monsters because of all the evil you've done to us in the past. You're seen as a threat, a danger. No one' s allowed to go near you, so I panicked.”

"Then why did you come back to meet me ? I would have left you alone."

"I know. But you didn't seem dangerous after all. You were... Interesting... Besides, if I had told the village, they would have wanted you eliminated, and I didn't want that."

The dark-haired man, who had only been staring at the ground from the beginning of the conversation, suddenly turned to his friend and took his hands in his own.

"But, I don't regret it, you know ! You're a really good person and I appreciate you very much ! If you're not too disgusted by... what I am... I'd love to keep seeing you !“

And, well, who was Jaebeom to deny anything to such a lovely person? 

•♦•

If Jaebeom had felt totally lost at first, and admittedly he had plenty of reason to, he ended up looking back on this day as a very important milestone in their relationship. It was the day when their discussions stopped being one-sided; the day when Youngjae started answering all his questions, without giving evasive answers and without diverting the topic of conversation. He didn't need to do that anymore. Jaebeom knew his secret, and gradually he told him his own. They became closer and closer, never missing their Thursday morning appointment. Jaebeom's clever and curious nature made him ask many questions about the wizard's world; their society, their magic, their schools,... . Youngjae tried to answer them all, without exception, as precisely as possible. He explained to him that there were two kinds of magic, spells and potions, and that he was much more skilled in the second one. In spite of this, to quench his friend's thirst for knowledge, he sometimes gave small demonstrations of simple spells, which never failed to impress him.

Their relationship had always been fun and exciting, especially for the human, who often struggled to keep calm when faced with the wizard's adorable behaviour. But now it was also comfortable and trusting. It was easier for them to have a conversation, they felt like they could be themselves completely, that they didn't have to play a role. Youngjae let his affection and need for closeness come out, whether it was by hugging him when they were meeting or parting ways, or by putting his head on his shoulder, or by lying down using him as his personal pillow. Jaebeom, though unaccustomed to such physical closeness, didn't complain, and watched him do it with his trademark soft, amused smiles. And these sweet moments were always quickly interrupted by Youngjae himself anyway, who, as soon as he laughed, felt the urge to hit the person closest to him. That' s why the brunette came home every Thursday night with sore shoulders and thighs, but with a smile on his face.

As for Jaebeom, he no longer refrained from complimenting him, teasing him, and even flirting with him sometimes, because sometimes it’s good to be enterprising. And the younger one's reactions were always so charming; the machinist had watched them over and over again, to the point of knowing them by heart. Sometimes he was embarrassed, and looked away with a nervous laugh and flushed cheeks. Sometimes he was touched, and thanked him enthusiastically and with the big bright smiles that characterized him so well. And other times he refused the compliments, pretending to sulk, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting a little, which always made Jaebeom want to pinch his cheeks and never let them go.

It went on like that for another month, and Mark heard more and more about the boy with bicoloured hair, whom he had never even met - they were both forbidden to go to each other's village for safety reasons, and always ended up meeting in the forest, on neutral ground. Despite this, Jaebeom liked to spend hours talking about what was according to him the _ extremely attractive _ appearance of the boy, and about his joyful and cute personality, and about his laughter that seemed to never stop, and about his adorable face, and -

"You're in love," Mark had once told him, calmly, without looking up from his book. 

They were in the living room of their small apartment, Jaebeom lying all the way down on the couch with his hands folded behind his head, and Mark was sitting in a chair next to him, absentmindedly listening to what he was saying. The brunette had then stopped talking, frowning at the ceiling as he pondered on the question he had never actually asked himself. 

"You know what ?" he eventually said after thinking it over, "It's very likely."

And he had imagined that Mark would disapprove, tell him to be cautious, that he shouldn't get too attached to him when he was still a stranger. He had thought he would worry again, but this time the blond surprised him. He looked up at him with a sly smirk as he turned, still calmly, the page of his book and told him:

"That's good, if it helps you get rid of your crush on Jinyoung. I think Jackson's trying to keep him for himself." 

And they spent the rest of the evening mocking Jackson's desperate and always rejected attempts at flirting. The waiter was very persistent, and although Jinyoung always feigned indifference, and sometimes irritation, the two mechanics had bet that they would eventually tell them that they were together some day. They knew that the boy had a soft spot for his puppy-like older friend.

During that month, Jaebeom's four friends noticed a change in his behavior. Or rather, his personality became more pronounced. He was still calm, but became even more teasing, without ever getting actually mean, and his friends appreciated this a lot. He was friendlier, more enthusiastic and emotional at times too. He really laughed, no longer just watching others do so with a smile on his face. He was also getting more and more used to the physical contact that Jackson and Bambam provided, and even though he was never the one who initiated it, he was learning to enjoy receiving it.

He seemed happier, more honest, saying out loud what he was thinking, when he used to tend to keep his thoughts to himself. One day they had seen him slumped down on his chair in the tavern, and he had breathed "ah, life is  _ great _ ...", and it had given them quite a shock. But they were happy for him, even though, apart from Mark, they didn't know the reason for the sudden change. It was great to see Jaebeom like that, all dreamy and happy.

Unfortunately, all good things had to come to an end.

•♦•

It was on a Tuesday morning. Just like on the other days of the week, Mark and Jaebeom had gotten up early to keep up with customer orders and prepare the shop for its opening. The brunette had rolled up his sleeves, already working on a small coal engine that had been dropped off the day before. The door opened five minutes later, and the little doorbell - an invention of Jaebeom's, which he was rather proud of - made them look up at a breathless Jackson.

"Jack ? What are you doing here ?" Mark asked as he walked closer to him. "Aren't you supposed to be working in the fields ?"

"I overheard a conversation at the tavern yesterday, and, I don't know why, I thought it was important to warn you."

His eyes did not leave Jaebeom, and the latter, interested, put his already stained hands on his work surface.

"I'm listening..."

The smaller one approached, looking bothered but determined, making his two friends curious. Then he released the bomb that was going to blow the sweet routine that the explorer had built up over the last two months.

"The people in the village know that you're going into the forest."

"What ?! How ?" Jaebeom exclaimed, suddenly more tense.

"I don't know. Maybe one of the five of us leaked the information, or maybe someone followed you. Maybe it's your parents. Still, they've known for a long time from what I understood. They've been waiting to make sure you'd come back every time. Now they're sure it's safe, and they want to organize an expedition this afternoon. Initiative of Jinyoung's bastard father."

This news froze him in horror. His hands began to tremble slightly against the wood of his counter, his eyes widening, and he shook his head almost imperceptibly.

"No..." was all he could whisper. Mark sighed.

" You should have expected it. Now that we know this forest is safe, it's only natural that other people want to explore it."

"No, you don't understand ! This forest  _ is  _ dangerous, it  _ is  _ cursed ! They mustn't go in there, if they do, it's... it would be a disaster..."

Jaebeom had stood up, pacing around his shop while constantly running his hands through his hair, showing the urgency of the situation to his two friends. Jackson frowned at this reaction, which he thought was exaggerated.

"But, JB, you were always the first one to say it was just a forest, that we were paranoid..."

The brunette grunted, too busy thinking to reply, his brain working at full throttle to find a solution to this more than problematic situation. His friends looked at him silently, worried and lost, until Mark sighed a second time.

" JB, I don't get it, but it looks important. You should go tell Youngjae."

"Youngjae ?" Jackson repeated.

"But what about the shop ? he asked, turning sharply to his best friend."

"I'll take care of it. Go ahead, run along, make it quick."

And Jaebeom did exactly what he was told, quickly taking his hiking shoes, jacket, and bag, and went out of the shop, thanking his friends with a quick pat on the shoulder. He rushed to the exit of the village, running madly towards the forest, unaware of the pain that he soon felt in his lungs, his calves, and his back, on which his bag was boucing at every step. But more important was that he had to find Youngjae, that the dark-haired man had to tell him what to do, he couldn't let the people from his village go into that forest, not after what Youngjae had told him, not with the knowledge of what was going to happen to them.

It took him half the usual time to get to the clearing, but of course, the wizard wasn't there. Jaebeom, braving all the rules they had established, entered the only cave he had never explored; the one in which Youngjae disappeared every Thursday at noon.

The tunnel was not very big, and in his haste Jaebeom fell several times, skidding on the rocks and scratching his arms and legs. It didn't matter.

Still running, it took him about ten minutes to get out of the cave, arriving directly at the entrance of the village. He was in an area of the forest where the trees were not so tightly packed, allowing the construction of small wooden houses on stilts between them. The place was dark, but welcoming, and definitely much bigger than his own modest hamlet of about a hundred inhabitants. 

He slowed down, hoping to hide himself when he heard a few voices. He saw several groups of teenagers and adults, but he refused to enter the village and alert too many people. So he made his way around it and, while hiding behind a bush, he spotted the ideal target. A tall teenager, with strangely metallic-looking black hair and a cloak resembling Youngjae's, was sitting alone on a bench, reading.

"Pssst!" he called, but the boy didn't move, too focused on his book. 

Jaebeom decided to do something a bit more dangerous, but it didn't matter; the situation was serious enough to take risks. He grabbed a small stone at his feet and threw it at the boy. This time he flinched, and turned around, rubbing his shoulder which had been hit by the projectile.

"Hey, come over here, please !" Jaebeom whispered from behind his hiding place. 

The wizard frowned, wary, but still approached slowly, after marking his page and closing his book. When he got to the bush, he saw Jaebeom, and backed away, but Jaebeom grabbed his shoulders tightly so that he could not flee.

"Listen," he began speaking, fast and low, "I'm sorry to bother you like that, and don't worry, I mean you no harm, but I need your help. Do you know a man named Youngjae?”

"...You're Jaebeom, the human, right?" the boy asked as he gave him a once-over. He looked a little scared and hesitant, just like Youngjae had when they first met.

Jaebeom froze when he heard that, he didn't expect anyone to know about him, and it freaked him out a little. The teenager was quick to reassure him. To be honest, he didn't expect to be so lucky.

"...Youngjae told me about you. I'm Yugyeom, his best friend. Don't worry, I don't want to hurt you either."

"...Nice to meet you, Yugyeom. I've heard a lot of good things about you. I wish we'd met under different circumstances, but this is an emergency. I need you to get Youngjae and tell him to meet me at the clearing as soon as possible, okay? It's really important, it's a matter of safety for both our villages."

"A-All right, okay, I'm going."

"Thanks, I'm counting on you."

And Yugyeom, confused and lost, still rushed away. Jaebeom turned back, returning to the clearing where he waited for his friend, walking around in circles, stressed and frightened. It was all his fault. Everything was his fault. Youngjae's village was going to be put in danger because of him.

People from his village were going to disappear, all because of him.

He didn't stop fidgeting with his already dishevelled hair until the familiar voice of the young sorcerer called out to him, and he saw him come trotting along, as beautiful as ever - but it was really, really not the time to think about that.

"'Beom, what's going on ? You went to see Yugy ? We agreed you wouldn't go to my village !"

"I'm sorry," was all Jaebeom replied as he hugged him.

Youngjae stopped, surprised, and then gave awkward little pats on his back.

"It-it's not that bad, you know... Plus you didn't even really get in there so... it's okay..."

Jaebeom snorted, because his friend had apparently misunderstood the whole thing. He straightened up, keeping his grip on the younger one's arms, and looked straight into his eyes.

"Youngjae, listen, it's urgent. It's very serious. People from my village know I'm coming here, they think it's safe. They... They are coming. You need to tell your mayor or your chief or whatever. A large group of humans is about to enter your forest. "

Youngjae froze in horror. He remained silent, taking in the information, but didn't move, didn't say anything. He had absolutely no reaction.

"It's my fault... I'm so sorry," repeated Jaebeom, keeping his head down.

"'Beom, do you... you do realize what we're going to have to do if I tell the council, righ ?"

The boy nodded silently. He knew. It was horrible, but it couldn't be otherwise. The forest was wizard territory, and the humans who tried to take it over had to disappear. He understood that. He already considered himself lucky to have been hidden, protected by Youngjae. But for the other people who came, he couldn't do anything. They would disappear - damn it, they would die because of him.

"... Alright, I'll go warn them. Thanks for coming, 'Beom. It's a big sacrifice you're making for us, it won't go unnoticed. Now, you need to go home. You've got to convince them not to do it. We want as few victims as possible, okay ? Just do everything you can. "

Jaebeom's fists clenched around his friend's cloak, but he nodded weakly.

It was a disaster.

Youngjae pronounced his whole name for the first time in a long time, and his voice had become shaky, a little broken. The elder one knew that what was coming next wasn't going to please him.

"Jaebeom, I... I think you shouldn't come back. "

A long, heavy silence followed this statement. The machinist did not answer, blinking upwards as a lump had settled in his throat.

"Look where it's gotten us," continued the wizard, shaking more and more, his hands clinging to the front of his friend's shirt and his eyes fixed on the ground. "We can't risk it happening again... humans shouldn't come here... not- not even you..."

Jaebeom took a deep, uneven, shaky breath.

"It's... it's the last time, isn't it ?" he asked, and although no tears were coming out of his eyes, they could still be heard very clearly in his voice.

This was the moment Youngjae chose to let out a first sob, sudden dropping his head on Jaebeom's shoulder and trembling like a leaf against him. Jaebeom tensed up, surprised, almost panicked, and - fuck. He was making his ray of sunshine cry.

"...Jae?" he murmured, staring anxiously at the mass of bicolored hair against his chin. 

"I'm... I'm fine," replied his friend with a nervous laugh, moving away just far enough to be able to wipe his eyes and cheeks. "I... I'm not going to cry because a stranger is leaving, right ?"

His laughter mixed with his sobs was making Jaebeom's heart ache, it hurt, it was barely bearable. God, Youngjae was crying. He was crying. What was he supposed to do ?

"... You haven't been a stranger to me for a long time now, 'Jae," he murmured, awkwardly stroking his shoulders, trying to be reassuring - but he definitely lacked expertise in making people feel better.

"I know..." sniffed the dark-haired boy. "You neither..."

They stayed for a while in each other's arms, one trying to calm his sobs and the other trying not to let them escape. But the urgency of the situation soon came back to them, and Jaebeom knew he had to leave, for it must have been noon by now, and the people from his village would surely be on their way any moment now.

When Youngjae’s breathing returned to normal, and his cheeks were dry, Jaebeom decided to give it a try. It was now or never, literally. So he reached out to him again and kissed him. There was almost no contact; a simple brush, gentle and quick, and it could have been only a dream, as the feeling it gave vanished quickly, gone as soon as it had come. But they both knew it was real, and that it would never happen again. Just a foretaste of what they could have been if they had been left alone; if Jaebeom's parents hadn't gone through his belongings, if they hadn't found his map and told the whole village about it. 

“I don't think I'll ever be able to forget you," Jaebeom muttered, his voice sounding increasingly sad. "So, please think about me once in a while..."

Youngjae nodded with tears beginning to flow again, this time more quietly. He hugged Jaebeom again, breathed in his scent one last time, before the brunette moved back, turned around and disappeared into the cave on which there was still marked "exit" with chalk. He didn't turn back, didn't have the strength to, too concentrated on calming his heart and the lump that clutched his throat as he left his little wizard behind. For once, for the first and last time, he was the one who was leaving, the one who turned his back on him and left him alone in the clearing, and the thought of it made his eyes sting, they were burning, but, with his head raised towards the treetops, he refused to let his tears flow. It hurt, but it wasn't the right time, his mission wasn't over yet. He had to go back, convince his neighbors not to leave. Their lives depended on it.

When he arrived at the edge of the forest, he saw with horror that they were already there. A few minutes more, and it would have been too late.

There was a lot of people. Some had come only to watch, to cheer the heroes who would finally defeat this forest. Jaebeom's parents were among them. They looked happy and proud, but not of him. Of themselves. As if it was all thanks to them. If they knew, if only they realized what they'd done...

People who were part of the expedition were lined up on the small path that connected the forest and the small village. There were dogs, horses. There were about twenty of them, most of them were on standing, with bags and lamps and determined looks on their faces. And in the middle of the crowd, Jinyoung's father stood proudly on his big grey horse. He had traded his immaculate shirts for red traveling clothes, embroidered in silver thread. His jewellery had been removed, but his fine, perfectly engraved sword shone from the scabbard into which it had been slipped. It was just as good as the precious stones it had replaced.

Jinyoung's father was here.

Holy crap.

It meant that...

Jaebeom scanned the people surrounding the nobleman, looking for a particular face. And he found him there, right next to Jinyoung's father's horse. 

Bambam.

The boy, though still young, had been chosen as his squire, even though the rich man was not even a knight yet, let alone a lord. He had been serving Mr. Park for two years already, looking after his horses and accompanying him on the hunting trips he sometimes organized.

And of course, of course Jinyoung's father would want him to accompany him to the forest. Jaebeom was stupid for not having thought of that.

It was a disaster.

Jaebeom was soon joined by Mark, Jackson and Jinyoung.

"JB!" exclaimed Jackson. "Bambam will -"

"I know..." The brunette cut him off. "The last thing we can do is let him go. I know you guys don't understand what's going on, but... whoever goes into that forest, is never coming back. They're going to stop existing. We have to avoid that at all costs."

And, looking calm but boiling with fear and apprehension inside, he walked, standing in front of the cheerful crowd who was already celebrating the departure of the new explorers.

"THAT'S ENOUGH !" he shouted, determined. "You can' t leave !!"

The villagers fell silent, nothing could be hear for a few seconds, and then the grey horse made its way through the crowd, Bambam at its side, to come and still in front of Jaebeom. Mr. Park looked down at him with a raised eyebrow, patronizing him, and Jaebeom gritted his teeth. He couldn't help it, he hated his guts so much.

"And why is that, young man ?" he asked in a suave, obnoxious voice.

"This forest is cursed, and you know it as well as I do. If you enter it, you'll never get out. Please, don't go in !"

"And yet, you've come back from it all right, haven't you ? We know you've been going in there every week for over a few months now."

"I've been lucky. But there's a lot of you, you're visible, and the forest knows you're coming. You're not gonna make it."

"DON’T THINK WE’RE STUPID !" the rich shouted suddenly, startling the villagers around them. 

He tugged on the horse's harness, which began to turn around Jaebeom, threatening. He swallowed with difficulty, but he stood there at the entrance to the forest, scared but determined. He couldn't give up that way.

"Why do you want us to stay here so much ?" asked the adult. "What are you trying to protect, Im ?"

" _ YOU _ !" Jaebeom yelled. "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ! THOSE WHO GO INTO THAT FOREST WILL  _ DIE  _ ! " 

The man snorted scornfully, annoyed and impatient, stopping his horse again. He smiled disdainfully, a smirk that left the machinist wanting to make him violently eat his own teeth.

"If a useless guy like you isn't dead yet, Im, then I think we're safe. "

A few snickers were heard, and Jaebeom clenched his fists and jaw. He was on the verge of losing his temper, when a cold, calm voice intervened.

"Dad."

The faces then all turned to Jinyoung, who walked calmly and confidently towards them, to come and stand right next to Jaebeom. The latter watched him, curious, relieved, but also admiring. His friend was full of self-confidence. It was a beautiful sight.

"Father, you go into that forest and never come back, who cares? But don't drag innocent people into your bullshit. "

His gaze then focused on Bambam, who stood still beside the horse, as straight as a post in his leather clothes with the Park family coat of arms embroidered on it. He tensed slightly, embarrassed by the sudden attention he was receiving. He didn't need words to understand what Jinyoung was saying to him through his insistent stare. For the first time since the conversation began, he realized he had a choice to make. Follow his employer, or follow his friends.

Jinyoung's father clicked his tongue, becoming increasingly irritated.

"My own son...," he growled. "How did I raise you?"

"Like a dog who's taught to be pretty and to hold out his paws."

There was silence as everyone was shocked by the boy's words. He had spat it out with hatred, violence, between his clenched teeth. There was no hesitation in his voice, in his behaviour. He was proud, tall, admirable at that moment. 

The first time he stood up to his father.

Jaebeom was overcome with a surge of affection for his friend. He found him gorgeous, stunning. His usual optimism returned, and he looked up at the crowd, determined to find a solution. After all,  _ everything will be all right _ , won't it...?

"Bambam," Jinyoung called, "you trust Jaebeom, don't you? "

The squire did not answer, indecisive. He didn't want to disobey his superior, he was loyal, he was brave. He didn't want to believe the words of his friend, he didn't want to be afraid of a forest.

But... what if he was right?

"He's coming with me," said Mr. Park, who was beginning to show his annoyance.

"In your dreams," replied his son. "I don't care if you disappear, father. But I care about Bambam's life. He won't go. " 

At that moment, a murmur of hesitation passed through the crowd. They were undecided, and so was Bambam. Some villagers encouraged them, others told them to come back to the village. Jackson, who, like Mark, had joined Jaebeom and Jinyoung a few minutes earlier, decided it was the right time to use his natural popularity.

"You heard JB, y'all?" he said in the loudest, clearest voice he could manage. "Great danger awaits those who enter this forest! Don't follow this man just because he has money! Once he's dead, it will all come back to his son. Stay safe in this village! This forest is cursed, you have never felt the need to explore it before. If you want our village to remain in peace, that must not change!"

Some decided to leave, others decided to stay. Mr. Park growled again.

" Those who are not  _ cowards  _ follow me, “ he demanded.

And, with horror, Jaebeom saw men, adults from his village, people he knew and some of whom he liked, enter the forest. Bambam remained motionless. Jinyoung was about to go and fetch him, by force if necessary, but his father stopped his horse and turned towards him, arching a haughty eyebrow.

"What are you waiting for ?" asked the wealthy man.

"I won't come, sir..."

The squire had his eyes fixed on his shoes, looking hesitant, unsure of himself. His voice was weak, insecure, but he suddenly looked up and repeated with more confidence:

"I won't come. You can go and die if you want, but I'm staying with my friends."

He received a dark glare, but the crowd didn't stop. Jaebeom wanted to run behind them, shouting at them to stay, begging them on his knees if he had to, but Mark held him by the shoulder, resigned.

"It's over, JB. You did everything you could."

So he just stood there, frozen, watching these people walk proudly toward their doom. The lump in his throat, which had been chased away by the adrenaline, returned at full speed, and he suddenly felt tired, empty. His legs trembled, aching, his back hurt, he had no strength left. He wanted to lie there, to never get up again, to never move anymore.

He wanted to curl up into a ball and cry. But he didn't. Not in front of his four friends, who were looking at him sternly.

"Now JB," Bambam told him, "I believe you have some things to explain to us."

•♦•

After returning to the tavern, Jaebeom had told them everything. He talked about his explorations, but mostly about Youngjae. About the different stages of their relationship. How they met, how they got closer, the day he realized the different nature of the boy. That day when he understood the reason for all these disappearances, but he couldn't blame his friend. On the contrary, it had brought them even closer together. And finally, he spoke of their separation, how they had said goodbye to one another; and Jaebeom, in front of Mark, Jinyoung, Bambam and Jackson, who had never seen him do it, shed a tear. He cried, for the first time in a long time. And the boys understood.

They understood that the few people who had gone on the expedition would never return. They understood what had made Jaebeom happy for the past month. They understood that he had decided to stop his expeditions so he wouldn't have to sacrifice the villagers again. And they understood that he had definitely lost the boy he had fallen in love with.

On the day the explorers were scheduled to return, no one came out of the forest.

And about ten days later, Jinyoung walked into the repair shop with huge, dark circles under his eyes - and only then did they realize that he usually wore make-up to hide those purple marks.

"He's not coming back," he had whispered just after having opened the door, looking shocked. 

His friends approached him, worried. He continued, speaking in a flat, blank, zombie-like voice.

"I've just received his inheritance. They consider him dead... The house - it' s mine now... He... Guys, he's not coming home."

And, struck by the realization, he suddenly burst into tears in Jaebeom's tallow-stained arms, repeating the same phrase over and over again.

"My father will never come back. "

And then the months went by. Eight, to be exact. For Jinyoung, the recovery wasn't too difficult. He wasn't actually saddened by the loss of his father, who hadn't even raised him and whom he'd always hated, but rather frightened by the freedom it gave him. He was already an adult, but he had always done what his father told him to do, always acted as his father told him to act. Now that he was gone, Jinyoung found himself having to decide his own future, and his very present, and he discovered a whole new feeling.

Doubt.

It was not unusual for him to spend his evenings at the two boys' repair shop, telling them that he didn't know what to do, that he didn't know who to be. He had a huge period of self-questioning.

"How do you know you're making the right choices?" he had once asked.

"You know, choices are kind of like our wrenches," Jaebeom replied. He waited for the mockery of the other two to stop before explaining himself. "You see," he continued, "there are people, whose wrenches are well sorted, by size, from the smallest to the largest, and so when they need them they know exactly which one to take and where it is. And then there are some people, a little more like us, it's a mess. So we take one that looks like it's a good match for the screw, and then we test it. If it's not the right one, we put it down and take another one until we find the one that fits. Well, life's the same. Some people, like Jackson, they know exactly what they want to do, they have their dreams, their passions, and they make all their choices based on that, it's very clear, well organized. And you, everything's been turned upside down, so you're confused. You can't really know in advance if your choices are the right ones. You have to try, and if it suits you, you keep going that way. If not, you change. “

"That was the worst metaphor I've ever heard," Mark laughed, before turning to Jinyoung again and continuing the discussion. "You know," he said, "it's normal not to know everything, to have doubts. We all go through that when we become independent. Most of the time it's in our teens, but not always. For me, it was sooner, because I was always alone before I met JB and his family. For you, it was later, because you were never a teenager, you couldn't, your father was on your back all the time. So you're going through it now, but trust me, we've all been there. You're going to have to listen to other people's advice, and then listen to what you yourself want, and try to figure out how to deal with it all. It's not easy, but you get used to it. Besides, we'll be here to support you if you need it. And we won't blame you if you mess up. We've all made mistakes, and you can't keep it all under control all the time anymore. "

Jinyoung, sitting next to Mark's worktop on a high stool, had then remained silent, reflecting on the words of his friends as he looked up at the imposing beams in the ceiling. What they were saying made sense, of course, he understood what they meant. But it didn't help him. He needed something concrete, someone to tell him exactly what he had to do. He needed what he'd hated all his life.

But he knew he wasn't going to have that anymore. No one in the village had the power to give him orders, the people feared him just like they feared his father. If they didn’t they played the devoted servants, typical hypocrisy of those who are after his money. On the other hand, his friends always refused to give him any instructions, saying that he had to find his own way.

"... It's so hard to be free," he eventually sighed, dejected. 

And then he had eventually gotten used to it. It took him a long time, but he finally found a lifestyle that suited him. He continued his art and music lessons, because he loved it, it was only the compulsory nature of it that had made him hate it when he was younger. He kept his house, his wealth - yes, he had been hesitating to give all that up, wondering what was the point of keeping something he had inherited from such a hateful person. But he had found the point: to share it with the people he loved. So he started giving presents to his friends, offering Bambam a new job, for example. Mark and Jaebeom had to insist for a long time that he shouldn't buy them a new house, assuring him that their little apartment above the shop was perfect for them, and that, no, living there together didn't bother them. 

He also offered Jackson a place to stay in his large house in the centre of the village, explaining that he would save more money if he didn't have to pay for rent and meals, and that he could leave for the capital sooner. Of course, the boy had accepted with great enthusiasm and gratitude, and for the other three it was only a matter of time before they would end up together.

Jinyoung also got very involved in the village's affairs, by financing, for example, the construction of a new library, and by paying for artists to come and perform in their small theatre. His popularity had then greatly increased, reviving the name and the -false, since he still was no lord- coat of arms of the Park.

But he knew that if a lot of money was flowing out, some had to flow in as well. So he took over his father's business, which he had also inherited, and he managed it with the help of his tutor. He wasn't perfect, still a novice and much less skilled than his father, who had done this all his life, but he was a quick learner and the business was going well, giving him some financial stability.

His personality had changed, too. He was still as proud, self-confident, and rather arrogant as ever, but he was also kinder, more generous and more honest. He said what was on his mind, but his good manners made him do it with respect and politeness, and he had become a person with whom everybody liked to talk, as discussions with him were interesting and always pleasant. But he also had a rebellious, wild side to him now. He made fun of his friends, did not hesitate to make jokes, laughed loudly, and even messed with them sometimes. 

The Friday night Jinyoung had become the everyday Jinyoung.

Bambam, Jackson, Jaebeom and Mark could only be happy for him. He had become someone, for real this time, and not just his father's son. He had a genuine personality, real interests, and he seemed happy, confident and at ease. It felt good to see him like that.

For Jaebeom, on the other hand, recovery was much more complicated. He couldn't help but think about the few people who had disappeared because of him, the people who had lost their family and friends. And even though his friends kept telling him that it wasn't his fault, that he had nothing to do with it, that there was nothing he could have done, the rest of the village, especially his parents, would not hesitate to tell him the harsh truth. They would spit their hatred and indifference in his face, sometimes showering him with reproaches and causing his popularity to plummet.

Yet, it wasn't their words that haunted his mind since that famous day, it was Mark's. The ones he'd spoken just before he first entered the forest.

" _ You're fucking reckless. If something happens to you, don't come and say I didn't warn you. _ "

Mark was right. From the beginning, he had warned him of the potential dangers, had tried to make him understand that it was a bad idea, but he hadn't listened. He'd done as he pleased, trusting instead his old optimism, which hadn't stopped things from turning into a nightmare. He had been reckless, totally reckless. Naive and foolish. It was his fault, entirely his fault. If he had listened to his best friend's thoughtful and mature advice, none of this would have ever happened.

The guilt was eating him up. And he missed Youngjae.

He hated feeling that way. He felt like he was reacting like a teenage girl, like one of Jackson or Jinyoung's clingy girls, who couldn't stand the thought of letting go of them. But still, there was no denying it, he missed him. He constantly wanted to see his eyes again, his smiles, his pale skin, his stupid bicoloured hair and his unrealistic cloaks. He dreamed of hearing his voice again, his humming, his trademark laughter. He wanted to feel him slumping over him by the lake again, to feel his hair between his fingers, his hand in his own. He thought back to all those moments they had spent together, which seemed trivial, but which were in the end the most beautiful memories he had. He missed the forest, the caves, the clearing, he missed it all so much. Thinking about them was the only thing that made his heart beat slightly faster. It was his freedom, his joy, that bright period that was now well and truly over. The most beautiful moments of his life were over now. They were gone.

Everything was back to the way it was before. How did he manage to be happy before? Why couldn't he be satisfied with what he had?

Those eight months were very painful for Jaebeom. The more time went by, the more he closed in on himself, locking himself up in his workshop, working tirelessly and letting himself be overwhelmed by remorse and regret. His friends were worried. He didn't laugh any more, but that wasn't all that unusual. He didn’t laugh very often before, but it was in his character. Except that before, he used to snort mockingly, tease them, watch them laugh with his amused grins, make jokes. Now he didn't do any of that any more, and even at the tavern parties he forced himself to go to, he didn't talk much, he stayed locked up in the little hiding place he'd dug in his own mind. He had never shed tears again, or at least not in front of them, but he remained that way, gloomy, sad, all day long. In short, if Jinyoung's self-confidence had been strengthened by these events, Jaebeom's, on the contrary, was in freefall.

He was a mess.

Bambam, Jackson, Jinyoung and Mark had tried everything to cheer him up, but nothing helped. Loneliness and guilt were gradually killing him, and he looked less and less like the Jaebeom they knew. They felt like they were slowly losing their friend.

And then, at the end of those eight months, the solution suddenly appeared to them, like an angel fallen from heaven.

It happened on a Friday evening, or perhaps a Saturday morning, it was already quite late and the moon had been up for a few hours already. The five of them were at the tavern, as usual. Always the same people, the same table, the same drinks and the same games. Jaebeom didn't really see the point anymore. He even thought he might stop coming, at some point in the future.

Mark suffered a crushing defeat, and his best friend willed himself to smirk at him, but said nothing. He just listened to the jokes and teasing of the other three with a distracted ear. He wasn't really interested in any of this anymore.

The game went on, and soon only Jaebeom and Jinyoung were left in play, a match that happened very often because they were the two best strategists. Sometimes Mark won too, but most of the time he just played for fun, without focusing enough on it. Jaebeom was sure he could be very good if he tried, though. He had the brains to do it.

Jinyoung was placing one of his cards on the table with a satisfied smile, confident of his future victory, when a voice sounded from behind the brunette's back.

"What kind of game are you playing? "

And for God's sake, he could recognize that voice a thousand times over. He could even picture its owner's smiley face just by hearing it. He froze, tensing up completely, surprised. Utterly bewildered. 

_ Was it really what he was hoping for? _

Then, slowly, cautiously, shivering slightly, he turned around, the doubt and confusion showing on every part of his face. And there he stood, proudly, in front of him, his fists dumbly placed on his hips, looking satisfied. Jaebeom recognized his dark but bright eyes, his wide smile with perfect teeth, his white skin, the small mole on his eyelid, his smooth and familiar hair, even though it had changed to a bright and vivid blue; and the fascinating iridescent black fabric of his cape.

"...Youngjae..." he whispered in disbelief.

"Hi 'Beom, I missed you," he replied in a low voice and with a sincere smile, full of emotion and tenderness. 

The boy did not react, completely stunned, unable to make a single move, to utter a single word. His friends, behind him, looked at the human and the wizard alternately, thinking they understood the situation, but still remaining a bit lost.

"Do you mind if we move in here?" Youngjae asked, aloud again and with his usual enthusiasm. "When I say "we", I mean Yugyeom and I. We'd like to open a medical clinic here, wouldn't it be cool? Yugy, come here, they won't bite you..."

And Yugyeom did move closer, somewhat timidly, greeting the five people at the table, and the brunette's four friends introduced themselves as well. Jaebeom glanced at the tall teenager for a split second, and then his eyes focused on his old friend again. He felt like he was in some kind of trance, in a dream, he couldn't believe it.  _ Youngjae _ . Youngjae was there in front of him, and apart from his hair, he had barely changed, as if they had never left each other. He was in Jackson's tavern, in his small human village; the one he wasn't supposed to be allowed to go to, the one that was so dangerous for him. He had been willing to risk it to see him again. And there he was, right in front of him, right there. Close enough to touch.

"Well, obviously, it will be medicine, let's say... local and experimental," Youngjae mischievously winked at him. "But no one needs to know that !"

The conversation that Bambam and Yugyeom had already started broke off, and all eyes turned to Jaebeom, waiting for a reaction, but nothing came. He stood there, turned on his chair, as still as a statue, barely breathing, his eyes fixed on the face of his young wizard. The latter, faced with his lack of reaction, was beginning to show doubts. He looked more embarrassed, making himself smaller and smaller, his smile becoming more uncertain. He just wanted Jaebeom to do something, to say something,  _ anything _ . It was embarrassing to be stared at for so long and not know what was going through his mind.

So he ran a hand through his hair, playing with it, twisting the strands between his fingers, and made one last attempt at dialogue.

" So... How do you like my new color? "

And it wasn't the question that made Jaebeom react, but the nervous laughter that followed. He suddenly came back to reality. Youngjae was here. He was going to stay. Youngjae had come back. For him.

There was something like a snap in his head, and the old Jaebeom emerged from the depths of his mind, taking over the reins, as if he woke up from a heavy sleep. It was as if, all this time, he had been in automatic driving mode, like a robot, merely surviving, doing the basics, but not really being there. Without really existing. It was as if he was brought back to life all of a sudden.

Then an old saying came to his mind, a motto that he'd been repeating over and over again before, but had since forgotten.

_ It will be all right. _

It made him smile: a smile that could not be more genuine, could not be more real, a smile that his friends hadn't seen for a long time. The kind of smile that stretches his lips, causing little creases to appear at the corners of his mouth; the kind of smile that turned his eyes into small crescents.

He got up, slowly, calmly, trying to enjoy the moment, the joy which, having remained suppressed for eight months, suddenly reappeared, bursting in his chest like a huge bomb, almost hurting him as his heart was so heavy, beating wildly. He approached the youngest, delicately cupped his face, and whispered:

"You look  _ great  _ like that, 'Jae."

And the wizard's smile faltered, stunned by the tenderness that radiated from his human, by the gentleness and love that he could read in his gaze, his smile, in his every gesture.

And so, before the happy and relieved gazes of his friends, and before the curious, incredulous and even sometimes outraged looks of the other customers in the tavern, not caring about what they might go and tell his parents, Jaebeom kissed the boy he had never been able to forget.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys ! I hope you liked it ! You may have noticed, but this fic is a translation from French to English ( might explain why my English isn't perfect, I'm sorry if I made mistakes :/ ) of a story I wrote a year ago. So, it's old, and I'd understand it if you don't like it all that much. I had a lot of fun though, I love discovering new English words ~ 
> 
> Thanks for reading, and make sure to leave kudos and comments if you enjoyed ! You can find me on twitter: @SSen_333 ( I post fanarts sometimes but It's mostly just me thristing over 2Jae )


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